Holdback-iron.



F. E. LOVEJUY.

HOLDBACK IRON. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 191s.

1,100,590, Patented June 16, 1914.

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oLUMBIA PLANOURAPH Co., WASHINGTON. D. C,

FRED LOVEJOY, OF OLD'IOVVN, MAINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914-.

Application filed September 3, 1913. Serial No. 787,961.

To all whom t may] concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED E. LovnJoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oldtown, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented new and useful improvements in Holdbacklrons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved hold back iron for attaching breeching straps of a harness to vehicle thills and permitting the brecching straps to be released from the thills in the event that the swingle-tree or traces break and the horse should start to run away, and thus prevent the vehicle or its occupants from being injured, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character which comprises a base member or attachment to a thill, a connecting member slidably and detachably connected to the base member and 'which can be released from the base member by being drawn forwardly therefrom and a yielding locking member to secure the con necting member to the base member against casual detachment and prevent said members from rattling, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved hold back iron with the parts assembled and showing the base member in place on a thill and indicating the connecting member attached to a breeching strap. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts disassembled. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view of the same with the parts assembled. Fig. 4L is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail plan of the base member.

The base member 1 of my improved hold back iron is adapted to be placed on one of the thills of a carriage or other vehicle and to be secured thereto by suitable screws, openings 2 being provided in the said base member for the reception of such screws. The base member is provided on one side ivith a longitudinal tongue 3 which projects therefrom and is of less length and width than the base member, and at the rear end of the tongue the base member is formed with laterally extending stop shoulders 4. The front ends of the tongue and of the base member are here shown as rounded or semicireular in form and the tongue is undercut and provided at its sides with longitudinal grooves 5. In the centerof the tongue is a longitudinal recess G in which is a bent spring 7, the ends of the spring being Secured in slits 8 at the ends or the said recess, the combined length of the recess and the slits being less than that of the spring so that the latter is buckled or bent outwardly at the center and its bent portion is caused to project normally beyond the outer surfaces of the tongue as will be understood.

The attaching member 9 is formed on its outer side with an eye 10 to which a breeehing or hold back strap may be attached as indicated in Fig. l. The attaching member is pro-vided on the side opposed to the base member with a longitudinual groove 1l for the reception ofthe tongue of the base mehr ber, flanges l2 being formed at the sides of said groove to enter the undercut grooves 5 of said tongue. Hence the tongue and groove of the base member and attaching member coact to slidably connect the attaching member to the base member and to permit them to be readily detached by drawing the attaching member forwardly and prevent the attaching member from being drawn laterally from the base member. When the attaching memberv is in place on the base member the rear ends of the side walls of its groove 11 and here indicated at 13 bear against the stop shoulders 1l of the base member thus preventing the attaching member from being drawn rearwardly from the base member. The front of the groove 11 also forms a stop 14C which bears against the front end of the tongue 3 of the base member. In the inner side of the attaching member, at a point opposite the center of the spring 7 is a locking recess l5 with which the central bowed or bent portion of the spring 7 engages when the members of my hold back iron are assembled, the said spring thus forming a yieldable locking member to secure it to the base against casual detachment therefrom but to permit the attaching member to be laterally drawn forward and detached from the base member and the said spring also serves to prevent the parts of the hold back iron from rattling.

I claim:

The herein described hold back iron comprising a base member for attachment to the thill and a connecting member for attachment to a breeching strap, said base member having a longitudinal tongue on its upper side, undercut at its sides, said tongue having a longitudinal recess in its upper side, an outwardly bowed spring arranged in the said recess, and the said connecting member having a longitudinal groove in its under side, corresponding cross sectionally with the tongue and adapted to receive the same to slidably connect said members together, said grooves being closed at the rear end to provide a stop to coact with the rear end of the base member to limit the longitudinal movement of the attaching member forwardly, said attaching member also having a recess in its inner side to receive the bowed portion of said spring and enable the latter to lock said members together against casual rearward movement of the connecting member and against rattling.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED E. LOVEJOY. lVitnesses STANLEY A. FISH, GUY MAC PHEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner nf Patents, Washington, I). C." 

